Abstract: We show by means of the AdS/CFT correspondence in the context of quantum gravity how inter-representational relations—loosely speaking relations among different equivalent representations of one and the same physics—can play out as a tool for intra-theoretical developments and thus boost theory development in the context of discovery. More precisely, we first show that, as a duality, the AdS/CFT correspondence cannot in itself testify to the quantum origin of gravity (though it may be utilized for this purpose). We then establish through two case studies from emergent gravity (Jacobson (2016); Verlinde (2017)) that the holographic AdS/CFT correspondence can, however, still excel as a guiding principle towards the quantum origin of gravity (similar in nature to quantisation).
